Amusement or illusion apparatus.



Patented Mar. 4, I902.

T. VAN KANNEL.

AMUSEMENT 0B ILLUSION APPARATUS.

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I No. 694,447. Patented Mar. 4,1902.

I T VAN KANNEL.

AMUSEMENT-0B ILLUSION APPARATUS.

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Patented Mar. 4, I902.

"T. VAN KANNEL. AMUSEMENT 0R ILLUSION APPARATUS.

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No. 694,447. I Patanted Mar. 4, I902. T. VAN KANNEL.

AMUSEMENT DB ILLUSION APPARATUS.

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PATENT OFFICE.

THEOPHILUS VAN KANNEL, OF NEW YORK, Y.

AM USEM EN'l' OR ILL USION APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,447, dated March 4, 1902.

Application filed May 28, 1900. A

TO all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS VAN KAN- NEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented certain Improvements in Amusement or Illusion Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an amusement or illusion apparatus in imitation of the waves of the sea, an objectwhich I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a general arrangement of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a still further enlarged section of part of the device. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of an adjustable cam forming one of the elements of the device. Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement of wave-producing devices employed at curves, and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are views illustrating certain modifications of my invention.

The invention consists, primarily, in a strip or sheet 00 of flexible material combined with means whereby a progressive rising-and-falling movement maybe imparted thereto in order to simulate the'waves of the sea, these devices being preferably such that the extreme of movement is midway of the width of the sheet and gradually diminishes from the center toward each edge. In Fig. 1 the flexible strip. or sheet is shown'as filling the space between a central structure 1 and an outer inclosure 2, said central structure being provided with embellishment of any desired character. For instance,it may be provided with trees'and shrubbery, so as to represent an island, and may have a band-stand or other structure 3 erected upon it, while the inclosure 2 may consist of scenery similar to theatrical scenery and painted to represent marine views, one side of the inclosure railing 0d a platform 4:, which may be connected with the structure 1 by means of an elevated bridge 5. h

The flexible sheet a provides four runways 6, 7, 8, and 9, the runways 6 and 8 being parallel with each other and the runways 7 and Serial No. 18,287. (No model.)

9 connecting said runways 6 and 8 at the ends. At the platform end of the runway 6 there is a secondaryplatform 10, from which passengers may enter the boats or conveyances, and at the corresponding end of the runway 8 there is a secondary platform 11, onto which the passengers from the boats or conveyances may land. The wave motion is imparted to the flexible strip or sheet at in the runways 6, 7, and 8, the runway 9 being preferably free from the wave motion, so that the conveyances maybe readily moved by the attendants across from the platform 11 to the platform 10.

The mechanism for imparting the wave motion is shown in Figs. 2, 3, at, and 5, on reference to which 12 represents a shaft mounted in suitable bearings on a floor or foundation and carrying a series of cams or eccentrics 13, each acting upon an antifriction-roller 14, carried by a yoke 15, depending from the overlapping ends of a pair of levers 16, which are hung to suitable bearings 17 at their outer ends, one of these bearings being adjacentto the inclosure 2 and the other adjacent to the structure 1. Each of the eccentrics 13 consists of a circular disk with parallel slots 18,

the central and larger slot receivingthe shaft 12 and the other slots receiving clamp screws or bolts 19, whereby said disk 13 may be securely confined to a block 20, the hub of which is secured to the shaft 12. By this means the disk 13 can be so set as to present any desired degree of eccentricity inrespect to the shaft, and in practice the eccentrics are so timed asto attain their limit of throwin longitudinal progression, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby as the shaft 12 is rotated a progresssively advancing risingand-falling movement is imparted to the strip or sheetw, which rests upon the levers 16, this strip being composed of rubber, canvas, or other flexible material and being preferably painted to'imitate the color of the waves which its movement simulates. The rising-and-falling movement is greatest at the center of the strip, as will be understood on reference to Fig. 2, and gradually decreases toward the edges of the strip.

Forward travel of the conveyance is caused by the constant rise of the strip or sheet win the rear of thesame, so that the conveyance is Ico always on a downgrade, which may be as slight or as great as desired, depending upon the extreme throw of the cams or eccentrics 13, the movement being as slow or as rapid as desired, depending upon the speed of the shaft 12. Thus in the runway 6 the waves may be long and slow-moving, while in the runway 7 the waves may be short and rapid in their movement, lengthening and slowing again in the runway S, and gradually diminishing in height, so as to bring the conveyance to a standstill at the platform 11. The speed of the conveyance can be regulated by an attendant, who can also arrest the forward motion and cause the conveyance to ride the waves.

In Fig. 6 I have shown operating mechanism which may be employed when the wavesimulating surface follows a curved course, as in turning a corner. In such case I employ a series of short shafts 32, disposed at different angles in respect to the longitudinal and transverse shafts 12 and each carrying two or more eccentrics or cams 13, adjoining cams of successive shafts being connected by transverse bolts or pins 33, preferably secured to one cam and entering an opening or slot in the other cam, a cam of the first short shaft 82 being likewise connected to the end cam of the longitudinal or transverse shaft 12, so that power will be transmitted from said shaft to the first short shaft and from the latter to the other short shafts of the series successively.

In order to fill the gaps between the outer levers 16 due to the fan-like arrangement of the levers, I use supplementary levers 3a, pivoted at their outer ends and connected at their inner ends by transverse pins or bolts 35 to the levers 16, these connections having such freedom as may be required by the different planes in which the levers swing.

WVhile' I prefer to use in carrying out my invention the system of pivoted levers and rotating cams or eccentrics which I have before described, other means within the scope of my invention may be employed for imparting the wave-like motion to the strip or sheet 00. Forinst-ance, in Figs. 7and8I have shown endless chains of links 36, connecting successive transverse shafts or spindles 37, which are provided with grooved wheels or pulleys 38 and with grooved drums 39, said wheels or pulleys 38 running upon tracks 40, laid upon the floor, while the grooves of the drums 39 receive ropes or cables 41, which carry the flexible strip or sheet w. The shafts 37,with their drums 39, are separated from each other longitudinally to an extent representing the distance between the crests of successive waves, the hollow of each wave being represented by the sag of the ropes or cables 41 between' the successive drums, which sag may, if desired, be restricted by supporting-rollers 42, carried by the links 36 at points intermediate of the shafts 37. As the shafts 37 are drawn forward by means of power suitably applied to the links 36 the longitudinally-progressive rise and fall of the flexible sheeta: will be effected and the desired wave-like motion produced, the wheels 38 turning forwardly by contact with the rails 40 and the drums 39 turning backwardly by contact of their cables with the wave-sheet The progressive rising-and-fallingmovementofthe wave-sheet may also be effected by means of a succession of expansible and collapsible reservoirs extending transversely beneath said strip or sheet and disposed side by side longitudinally, as represented at 43 in Fig. 9, these reservoirs being alternately expanded and collapsed by permitting air under pressure to enter and escape from the same, the gradual expansion of each reservoir causing the sheet resting thereupon to simulate the rising of the wave and the gradual collapse of the reservoir causing the sheet resting thereupon to represent the falling of the wave.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention may be employed either as an amusement device or as a stage representation to produce an illusion of the waves of the sea, and any desired form of rolling or wheeled conveyance maybe used to ride the waves or to travel over the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut- 1. An amusement or illusion device comprising a strip or sheet of flexible material, with means for imparting thereto a series of 1ongitudinally-progressive rising-and-falling movements, sim ulating the appearance of the waves of the sea, substantially as specified.

2. An amusement or illusion device com, prising a strip or sheet of flexible materialwith means for imparting thereto a series of longitudinally-progressive rising-and-falling movements, said movements simulating the appearance of the waves of the sea and gradually diminishing toward the edges of the sheet, substantially as specified.

3. An amusement or illusion device having in combination, a series of pivoted levers disposed side by side, and a shaft having leveroperating cams or eccentrics timed to reach their limit of throw in longitudinal progression, substantially as specified.

4. An amusement or illusion device having in combination, a series of pairs of levers disposed side by side, the levers of each pair overlapping each other, and a shaft having lever-operating cams or eccentrics timed to reach their limit of throw in longitudinal progression, substantially as specified.

5. An amusement or illusion device comprising a flexible support, means for imparting a series of longitudinally-progressive risin g-and-fallin g movements thereto simulating the appearance of the waves of the sea, and a conveyance mounted upon said flexible support and caused to travel thereon, by the movement thereof, substantially as specified.

6. An amusement or illusion apparatus ICC IIO

comprising a flexible support, means for imparting a series of longitudinally-progressive rising-and-falling movem ents thereto simulating the appearance of the waves of the sea and a conveyance mounted upon said flexible support and caused to travel thereon, by the movement thereof, and means for retarding or arresting such traveling movement of the conveyance, whereby it is caused to rise and fall as the supporting-surface undulates substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the flexible strip or sheet, a series of short shafts set at different angles and each having eccentrics or cams for imparting wave-like movement to said strip or sheet, and means for connecting the cams of successive shafts, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of a flexible strip or sheet, a pair of long shafts set at an angle in respect to each other, a series of short shafts interposed between the long shafts and set at different angles in respect thereto, and cams or eccentrics carried by said long and short shafts and timed so as to reach their limit of throw in longitudinal progression, substantially as specified.

9. The combination of a flexible strip or sheet, pivoted levers acting thereon, a shaft having cams oreccentrics for vibrating said levers, and interposed levers connected to those which are thus vibrated, so as to receive their motion therefrom, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

J. W. FARRELL, J AMES, MAHER, 

